Envelope



D. H. BUSHEY Aug. 29, 1967 ENVELOPE 'Filed April 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGZ.

FIGB.

INVENTOR. DON ALD H. BU SH E Y Aug- 29. 1967 D. H. BUSHEY 3,338,500

ENVELOPE Filed April a, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DONALD H. BUSHEY BYVQ MMU AGENT 3,338,500* Patented Aug. 29, 19673,338,500 ENVELOPE Donald H. Bushey, Shrewsbury, Mass., assignor toUnited States Envelope Company, Springfield, Mass., a corporation ofMaine Filed Apr. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 445,431 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-8.5)

ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A pre-closed coin envelope is provided havinga slot through which coins or other similar thin articles may beinserted into the envelope pocket. On the inside of the envelope is atab, located adjacent the slot, which prevents an article, once receivedin the envelope, from escaping by passing back through the slot.

This invention relates in general to envelopes, and more specifically tothe so-called coin envelopes.

Pre-closed envelopes having a slot in a panel thereof for the insertionof coins are well known in the art. Such envelopes are widely used todayfor church collections and the like. While these envelopes are generallyknown as coin envelopes, actually bills, checks, et-c. can just aseasily be used and the coin envelope is equally effective. Suchenvelopes may also be used for parts such as small electrical devices,small tools, and many other articles which are suitable for packaging inenvelopes for safe-keeping. l

An object of the present invention is to provide a coin type envelopewhich is constru-cted to protect against the contents falling out.

Another object of this invention is t-o provide a simple envelope whichcan easily rbe manufactured on conventional envelope manufacturingequipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide an envelope which, eventhough the slot is fully protected against the contents falling out, theslot is not obstructed so as to hinder the entrance of coins, foldedpaper, or any other object which may be inserted in the envelope.

Further objects will appear from the following description of theinvention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed outhereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the back of an envelope according to myinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken substantially along the line 22 ofFIGURE l, but for clarity, omitting the contents of the envelope shownin FIGURE 1;'

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a blank from which the euvel-ope according tomy invention is made;

FIGURE 3A is a partial plan View of a blank showing a modification ofthe invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which theenvelope according to my invention is made;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged section view substantially along the same lineas FIGURE 2, but showing the envelope in inverted position andcontaining an article;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged section view similar to FIG- URE 5, but showingthe Iarticle in another position.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes generally an envelope according tomy invention, made of paper or the like, having a front panel 12 and abottom flap 14. In lthe illustrated embodiment of my invention, thebottom flap 14 is somewhat smaller than the front panel 12 and isconnected thereto by a fold line 16. Bottom flap 14 is connected alongits sides to the front panel 12 by means of the small side flaps 18 and20, which are connected to the front panel by means of the fold lines 22and 24. As illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, the bottom ap 14 ends shortof the top of the front panel 12.

The top ilap 26 is connected to the edge of the front panel 12 by meansof the fold line 28, and is the last of the flaps to be folded. Top flap26 is adhesively connected to the underlying portion of the bottom flap14. The flaps 14, 18, 20, and 26 all combine to make up the back panel.

To provide means for inserting coins or other objects in the envelope, aslot 30 is formed in the back panel of the envelope, which, in thisinstance, is in top flap 26. The slot 30 is spaced a short distance fromthe fold line 28 and extends generally parallel thereto. Slot 30 ispreferably located adjacent the edge 32 of the bottom flap 14, justslightly offset therefrom towards the outer edge of the envelope, forreasons which will be more fully described hereinafter.

To provide means for preventing the contents of the envelope fromsliding out, the bottom flap 14 is provided with a small tab 34connected thereto along the edge 32 by means of the fold line coincidentwith the edge 32. It is preferred that the tab 34 extend forsubstantially the entire length of the slot 30, but this is notabsolutely necessary for proper functioning of the envelope. The tab 34is relatively short in relation to the height of the envelope, the edge36 thereof terminating at least a distance from the edge 16 greater thaneither the length X or Width Y of an object which is to be insertedtherein. The positioning of the slot 30 and the adjacent edge 32 is alsosuch that the distance from the top edge 28 is less than the length X orwidth Y of an object to be inserted. It may be desirable in someinstances to provide slots 38 and 40 along the line 32 at the ends ofthe tab 34 to aid the tab 34 in being freely foldable along the foldline 32. Thus, when the article C is inserted in the envelope throughslot 30, it drops, or may be pushed down past the tab 34 which does notobstruct entrance of the article C, towards the bottom edge 16. Once thearticle C slides past the edge 36 of the tab 34, the tab 34 unfolds andacts as a shield to prevent the article C from getting to the slotagain, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. In FIGURE 5, the article C has notmoved past the tab 34, and is thus prevented from getting to the slot30. However, in FIGURE 6, the article C has moved all the WayA to theedge of the envelope, but in moving past the tab 34, it turned tab 34over -to cover up the slot 30 from the inside. Thus, the article C isretained in the envelope by the tab 34 in either case.

The envelope as hereinbefore described is made from a blank such as thatshown in FIGURE 3. This is one preferred form of the invention, but ofcourse there are other Variations. For instance, the flaps 18 and 20could be omitted, and the bottom flap 14 adhesively connected to thefront panel 12.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the envelope 10 is made from the blank shown inFIGURE 3 by first folding the side flaps 18 and 20. An adhesive 46 isthen applied to the flaps 18 and 20. Tab 34 is then folded substantiallyso as to fall back between the front panel 12 and bottom flap 14. Bottomflap 14 is next folded along fold line 16 to form the pocket and becomeadhesively connected to the side flaps 18 and 20. Top ap 26 is foldedalong fold line 28 such that the portion of flap 26 having the adhesive46 contacts the bottom flap 14. The residual resiliency in tab 34 allowssame to spring up enough to catch the article C, either preventing itfrom sliding by, 0r if it does slide by, then unfolding to the positionshown in FIGURE 6 to shield the slot 30.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have invented an envelopeinto which articles may be inserted, but such articles are preventedfrom sliding out, and that shaking the envelope around after loadingfurther enhances the security, in that the force of the contents folds ashield in place over the slot from the inside.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials,steps, and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described andillustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be madeby those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pre-closed envelope for receiving and retaining a generally thinarticle such as a coin or the like, said envelope including a generallyrectangular front panel and a generally rectangular back panel joined attheir edges and forming a pocket there-between, said envelope edgesincluding top and bottom edges and two side edges, a slot in one of saidpanels oriented generally parallel to said top and bottom edges of saidenvelope and spaced in its entirety from all four of said edges, and atab inside of said pocket fixed relative to said one panel and having afold line at one edge thereof extending generally parallel to said slotand located adjacent one side of said slot, said tab in the directionnormal to said fold line having a dimension less than the spacingbetween said fold line and either of said top and bottom edges of saidenvelope so as to be movable between an open position at which itextends from said fold line away from said slot to permit the insertionof an article into said pocket through said slot and a closed positionat which it extends from said fold line toward said slot, said tabfurther having such a dimension normal to said fold line that when insaid closed position it extends beyond the side of the slot oppositefrom said fold line so as to prevent the escape through said slot of anarticle already in said pocket.

2. A pre-closed envelope for receiving and retaining a generally thinarticle such as a coin or the like, said envelope including a frontpanel and back panel joined at their edges and forming a pockettherebetween, a slot in one of said panels oriented generally parallelto one edge of said envelope and spaced in its entirety from said oneedge by a substantial distance less than the minimum dimension of anarticle with which said envelope is to be used so that such an articlein being inserted into said pocket through said slot must be moved in adirection generally away from said edge, and a tab inside of said pocketfixed relative to said one panel and having a fold line at one edgethereof extending generally parallel to said slot and located adjacentsaid slot on the side thereof opposite from said one envelope edge, saidtab in the direction normal to said fold line having a dimension lessthan the spacing between said fold line and said one envelope edge so asto be movable about said fold line between an open position at which itextends from said fold line in a direction generally away from said oneenvelope edge to permit the insertion of an article into said pocketthrough said slot and a closed position at which it extends from saidfold line in a direction generally i toward said one envelope edge, saidtab further having such a dimension normal to said fold line as toextend beyond the side of said slot opposite from said fold line when insaid closed position to prevent the escape through said slot of anarticle already in said pocket.

3. An envelope as dened in claim 2 further characterized by said onepanel being comprised of at least two ilaps, one of said flaps having anedge spaced from said one edge of said envelope and the other of saidflaps extending from said one edge of said envelope toward and beyondsaid edge of said one ap, said other flap overlying said one llap andbeing sealed thereto along said edge of said one ap, said slot beingformed in said other iiap between said one edge of said envelope andsaid edge of said one ap and said tab being joined at its fold line tosaid edge of said one ap.

4. A pre-closed envelope for receiving and retaining a generally thinarticle such as a coin or the like, said envelope being made from asingle blank of sheet material and including a generally rectangularfront panel having top and bottom edges and two side edges, a bottomflap connected with said front panel by a fold line extending along saidbottom edge of said front panel and folded about said fold line so a-sto overlie the back surface of said front panel, said bottom flap havingan upper edge spaced below said top edge of said front panel, a top apconnected with said front panel along a told line extending along saidtop edge of said front panel, said top flap being folded about said foldline and overlying at least a part of said bottom ap, means adhesivelysecuring said top flap to said bottom flap adjacent said upper edge ofsaid bottom flap, a slot in said top flap oriented generally parallel tosaid top edge of said front panel and located between said top edge ofsaid front panel and said upper edge of said bottom ap, and a tabconnected with said bottom flap along a fold line extending along saidtop edge of said bottom ap, said tab in the direction normal to its saidfold line having a dimension less than the spacing between such foldline and said top edge of said front panel, said tab being movable aboutits said fold line between an open position at which it extends fromsuch fold line away from said slot to permit the insertion of an articleinto said envelope through said slot and a closed position at which itextends from said fold line toward and beyond said slot so as to closesaid slot to prevent the escape therethrough of an article already insaid envelope.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,048,125 12/1912 Bachmann 229-851,239,143 9/1917 Van Horn 229-85 2,726,030 12/1955 Levin 229-85 JOSEPHR. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PRE-CLOSED ENVELOPE FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING A GENERALLY THINARTICLE SUCH AS A COIN OR THE LIKE, SAID ENVELOPE INCLUDING A GENERALLYRECTANGULAR FRONT PANEL AND A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BACK PANEL JOINED ATTHEIR EDGES AND FORMING A POCKET THEREBETWEEN, SAID ENVELOPE EDGESINCLUDING TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES AND TWO SIDE EDGES, A SLOT IN ONE OF SAIDPANELS ORIENTED GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAIDENVELOPE AND SPACED IN ITS ENTIRELY FROM ALL FOUR OF SAID EDGES, AND ATAB INSIDE OF SAID POCKET FIXED RELATIVE TO SAID ONE PANEL AND HAVING AFOLD LINE AT ONE EDGE THEREOF EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SLOTAND LOCATED ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID SLOT, SAID TAB IN THE DIRECTIONNORMAL TO SAID FOLD LINE HAVING A DIMENSION LESS THAN THE SPACINGBETWEEN SAID FOLD LINE AND EITHER OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAIDENVELOPE SO AS TO BE MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION AT WHICH ITEXTENDS FROM SAID FOLD LINE AWAY FROM SAID SLOT TO PERMIT THE INSERTIONOF AN ARTICLE INTO SAID POCKET THROUGH SAID SLOT AND A CLOSED POSITIONAT WHICH IT EXTENDS FROM SAID FOLD LINE TOWARD SAID SLOT, SAID TABFURTHER HAVING SUCH A DIMENSION NORMAL TO SAID FOLD LINE THAT WHEN INSAID CLOSED POSITION IT EXTENDS BEYOND THE SIDE OF THE SLOT OPPOSITEFROM SAID FOLD LINE SO AS TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE THROUGH SAID SLOT OF ANARTICLE ALREADY IN SAID POCKET.